Narrow platform
by Chariott
Summary: Feeble since birth, Natsuki is constantly being sheltered from any possible threats by her nagging brother Shintaro, constantly reminded of how her childhood friend disappeared like a thief and balancing on a narrow platform between two princes of Kaijo ready to give up every bit of fame they accumulated in place of her happiness. And all she ever wanted was a debut concert...
1. I - Ripples in the ordinary

Within hours from the accident, the girl was still breathing. At least with her skin and unnoticeably for everyone. People gathered around her bitter pain, gawking at the awfully mutilated corpse. She was staring up at blank faces. It felt as if she was the one watching the dead, not the others. Her vision was blurry and dotted with red. She couldn't move her limbs, but struggled and struggled on the inside, knowing that if at least one finger won't be in the same place as the other, and anyone would see it, she'd be taken from that unnatural position and embarrassing situation.

"Yes. We're still investigating this. Yes, I understand, but- alright…we have no choice then." She heard a voice. It was a male's, hoarse and irritated.

 _Probably from the cold_ , she thought. _Oh wait no…I'm the one who is cold. The man is dressed in summer attire._ She sighed mentally. _So…am I dead already? It sucks when you can't feel the gentle summer breeze. It was one of my only pleasures…Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore. Psh, so that's what dead people do. When they realize they're goners, they throw the small stuff away. Family too, perhaps._

Suddenly, she was being moved from the bloody asphalt, on a stretcher. A female doctor sighed sadly and pushed up her glasses, pulling a dark material over the girl's body. She had the aura of a kind mother, yet that strong and intimidating glint in her eyes. Like every female, on the inside. A small strand of her unusual green colored hair fell onto the corpse's face, just before she managed to cover everything.

 _Now you're leaving your mess on me?—Wait…what is this? The strand…it's…it's warm. Who ever thought that such a tiny thing can emanate such radiant and comforting warmth? I almost wish I could swallow it so I could feel it on the inside too._

In front of her eyes appeared a light. Bright and with the same warmth as that woman's strand of hair. Though she hesitated when she was called in, later she was offered to make a deal. What kind of deal? And with who?

 _What do I have to do? Not that I can do much but…I'll try._

 ** _Actually, you can save a life._**

 _Can I?_

 ** _Yes. You see, that kind looking woman that you saw before your body was covered, she's my mother._**

 _Did you die too?_

 ** _Oh, of course not. I wasn't even born yet. But I won't survive long enough to see what you came to love. To feel like everybody does, to eat, sleep, walk and talk…I have a mere duration of 2 days left. I want to survive along with my brother. So, let's make a deal: I'll offer you the chance to be born again._**

 _But…but what can_ I _do for you? You give me the gift of life, what could I possibly offer you in return of equal price?_

 ** _A fusion. Let us become one. I watched your memories, and they made me sad. I want you to become me and survive a few more hours, so we could step into the world and enjoy life together, at the same time. Though none of us will notice the presence of the other. It's rather convenient, don't you think?_**

 _I guess…but how does it work?_

 ** _I have no idea. I guess we should just…hold hands?_**

 _Hands? Where? Where are you?_ The girl stretched her hand to the light, and a yellowish aura touched her arm gently.

 _ **Right here**. _ Even if the entity had no facial expressions, actually, no face at all, the girl could feel the smile it held. The beauty and happiness, true happiness. Like the feeling you have when you feel…whole.

They joined hands, and the light became even brighter, until it became pure darkness. There was a faint sound of heartbeats, two at the same time, in unison. The two children, still attached to their mother. And then, the loud cry of beaming newborns resonated through the hospital room, covering the cries of happiness of the female that endured horrible pains for a while.

"Congratulations, miss Midorima Hyori. They're twins, a handsome boy and a beautiful girl." The doctor handed the tired woman her creation and she cuddled the little persons to her chest, shedding tears of happiness and relief.

"Thank goodness they're both alive! Doctor, you have golden hands. Thank you so, so much!"

"Don't thank me, it was by a miracle that the little girl survived. She was and is so tiny we were afraid she would end up a miscarriage. But-"

"It didn't happen. Whatever deity placed their hand upon my little girl, they shed light. She's alive, they're alive..." she cooed at the now asleep babies and the doctor couldn't help but smile.

"How will you name them?"

"Hmm...that's a good question. How can I name these little rays of light?" she searched inside her mind for a while. "My little boy...I still can't believe it's true that I finally gave birth. The fact is true, it's real. So let's see...Shin...Shin...taro?" she bit her lip thoughtfully. "Shintaro." she spoke slowly, trying the new name. Giggling, she caressed his small chubby cheek gently, eyeing him with warmth. "You're going to be big and strong, aren't you Shin-chan?" He made small, gurgling sounds of what seemed to be approval. He was wide awake now, taking in the appearance of his mother. His sister, however, was quiet, she hadn't made a sound during birth either. This slightly alarmed her mother, but she allowed herself a few moments to think about her name too before returning them to a nurse. She had hope that her little girl will be fine.

She took a good look outside. Children were running around cheerfully, the chicatas were singing their mesmerizing song, the scorching sun created waves of heat and probably gave those without a hat sunstrokes. Everything was so peaceful and serene...but Hyori knew that a storm was coming, a big one. The air was much too dry and there was no wind. Thunder was about to rule the summer skies.

"Natsuki." she muttered, turning her gaze to the small twin. "Your name is going to be Natsuki. Sun rays touched your cheeks, my girl. You're the hope for tomorrow. You know, when you'll be older, you'll learn the kanji too and maybe, just maybe, I'll tell you what your name means..."

 _夏_ _Natsu - summer,_ _希_ _Ki - Hope…the baby of two souls, guardian of a secret and forbidden technique. Unique and rare, the fusion of death and birth. She, the center of attention and the forgotten. The born and the dead. The raised and buried. Fleeting like a summer breeze and stagnant like the waters of a lake._

 _She,_ _Natsuki **.**_


	2. II - My brother, my friend

On a cold night of July, during one of the biggest thunderstorms from the past 10 years, Natsuki was trembling and laying on her bed in a fetus position, hidden by a thin blanket. She seemed afraid, poor soul. It left a sour taste in her mouth how she felt afraid of such things, and the humid air inside the room was suffocating.

The door creaked open and she slowly peeked her head from under the sheets. A young figure appeared, rubbing its eyes tiredly and sighing. It was a boy, almost identical features like her, with the same green hair and orbs as the girl. Climbing next to Natsuki, he flicked her forehead and smiled slightly.

"I knew it. After all, you could never sleep during this weather, pipsqueak." She pouted and snuggled closer to him.

"Shin-chan, don't call me that…I'm not so small…"

"Yes you are. You're so tiny I'm surprised you can walk on your own feet." His arms wrapped around her, indeed, small and fragile body, almost enveloping her entirely. He pressed his lips gently on the top of her head and remained in that position. "And even so, look at this, you fit in my arms perfectly. Oha asa was right today too."

"Oha…asa?" he nodded.

"Yeah. It's a horoscope program on TV. It said that today, cancers' hearts will be filled with joy from even the tiniest reason. And here you are, my tiny reason." She smiled and giggled, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"I wish we could always stay like this…." The boy, hearing those words, was hit with an idea.

"What if…what if we promise to always be together? A promise can't be broken right?" she nodded eagerly.

"Mhm. A sister…a sister is always going to be here for you! I'll never leave, be sure about it Shin-chan!" he raised his pinky and she did the same, intertwining their fingers. "We will never be alone, that's how this goes, right? It doesn't matter if there's miles between us, there's only one road home." He smiled.

"Yes. Hey Natsu-chan…"

"Hmm?"

"Would you sing?" she giggled and nodded.

That's how it was back then. He was a warm and gentle person, calm and calculated with his actions. He has the same traits now, only that a colder side covered his personality, turning him into a full fledged tsundere. Not that she minds, but sometimes, the wish to snuggle against his warmth is more than just 'something trivial'. He is her twin brother after all, she feels the need to be close to him. She misses them, the stormy nights he'd stay with her. A lot. And he plainly ignores her, now that he's really into basketball.

It was a lonely feeling. Terrible, something that couldn't be really expressed in words. A big brother is always there to protect his little sister, right? That's what they always say. But the truth behind all this is that she is the one who actually protects her brother. From the shadows. That light that appears only for less than a second…it makes terrible noise, but it has its own reason. And before someone can even see her, she disappears. You could say Midorima Natsuki is like a lightning: quick, beautiful, deadly, precise yet completely random.

That's why, when out of control, her feelings are a thunderstorm: Unpredictable and harsh in some ways.

* * *

Natsuki once had a friend. It was the only true friend she ever had aside from her brother. His name was Morishige, if I remember correctly. He was a cold and isolated person, a built-up loner. He wouldn't allow anyone near him, but she managed to break his shell. They were in the same club in middle school, and were really close to eachother.

It was this time when they were trying to make their voices known. Both of them had outstanding talent and great minds. Sadly, Morishige wanted to give up after everyone turned their backs on them. Natsuki, however, held his hand until he gave up on giving up. She refused to let their dream go just like that.

"It's alright Morishi-kun! We've been through so much scandal and stupid stuff together, it's really absurd to give up now. Didn't we make a promise? We'll become famous together, or even, we'll be acknowledged by someone if we keep trying! So what if we failed now? We're children so of course no one pays attention…but even so! I believe in you Morishige! Let's do this. Together alright?" she poked his forehead and he groaned silently. Sighing but smiling, he patted her head and chuckled lowly.

"You never give up do you? No matter what trying times await and no matter how many times you stumble and fall, you're the type who will always get right back up and try again. I really admire this strength of yours, Natsu. It's a substantial strength, too. Substantial enough that even a cold human being like myself can plainly see it." She pouted and nudged his side, making him flinch and a strand of his neck-length blonde hair fall from behind his ear.

"Mo, what's with that 'a cold human being like myself' stuff? I might be blind or something but you're nothing like a cold person. Hmm, maybe to other people, but that's just because you're afraid they won't understand you, correct?" he sighed deeply and looked down. "I really don't know that feeling after all…I've always given my trust to others like it was nothing. You can call me stupid, or anything you want, but that won't really change anything. I love knowing that people can feel safe around me. I…don't want to be a bad person…am I a bad person, Morishige?" his eyes snapped in her direction.

"Of course not! How could you ever be? You know that those types of people don't appeal to me…" he looked away, a small tint of pink in his cheeks. "I wouldn't have been able to love you if you were like that…" widening her eyes, she smiled brightly at him, slowly starting to understand.

"Eeeh? So you love me…" suddenly turning full body to her, he stared seriously into her eyes.

"I do! A-and…because of that….i-if we manage to achieve our dream, promise you'll marry me!" she stared at him dumbfounded, unable to react. A deep blush crept on her cheeks and she covered her face with those tiny hands of hers. There was a long moment of silence, awkward, to say the least. She peeked at him and he had his eyes closed shut. It looked a little bit painful to her.

"O-Okay…" he raised his head and looked at her surprised.

"…What..?"

"Okay…let's do it." She bit her lip. "…only if we don't fall in love with someone else right before the dream is achieved."

"I can take that risk!" he grabbed her hands in his, grinning widely. "You'll see, you'll have the most beautiful dress ever!" she giggled.

"So confident all of a sudden."

"Of course! I won't let anyone have you!" Morishige looked at her through half opened crystal blue eyes, a gentle and loving smile dancing all over his features. "After all, I am the only one who can tame the thunder."

It seemed just a foolish promise back then, but it actually meant more than anyone could ever imagine. The next day, the two children parted ways. He moved out, disappeared without a trace, leaving her officially alone. There was no goodbye, no letter, no call, no nothing. She didn't know where he went or for how long he'd be there. This saddened her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt more betrayed than worried.

 **Author's note: Hello, hello, hello~ I felt really bad for writing only that prologue-ish chappy so here's some childhood moments! I would actually love to know if you guys want more moments like those between the two brothers, I can write even cuter stuff ^^ less...y'know...dramatic? Yea, that's it. So, I await thine opinion~**

 **-Chariott, puffs out!**


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